Recordings Van Morrison made for Bang Records in 1967, including a disc full of unreleased tracks, will feature on 'The Authorized Bang Collection.'

PoPsie Randolph/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Recordings Van Morrison made for Bang Records in 1967, including an entire disc of tracks seeing official release for the first time, will feature on the upcoming reissue The Authorized Bang Collection. The compilation gathers songs the Irish singer-songwriter laid down during his brief period on legendary producer Bert Berns’ label.

The collection, due out April 28th, features three discs of music that Morrison recorded alongside Berns: The first disc focuses on the original masters from Morrison’s Bang sessions – including original mixes of songs like “Brown Eyed Girl,” “T.B. Sheets” and “Madame George” – while the second boasts rarities from the sessions.

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The third disc – dubbed the Contractual Obligation Session, as it closed Morrison’s tenure with the label – contains 32 short, stripped-down and less-refined songs that were oft-bootlegged over the years but presented here in its best sound quality to date.

After leaving Them for a solo career in 1967, Morrison aligned with Berns’ Bang Records; Berns, who wrote tracks like “Twist and Shout,” “Piece of My Heart” and “Cry to Me,” produced Them’s 1965 hit “Here Comes the Night.” However, after the recording sessions, Morrison and Berns’ partnership fizzled. After Berns died unexpectedly in December 1967, Morrison entered a legal battle with the producer’s widow over his creative independence.

“Bert Berns was a genius,” Morrison said in a statement. “He was a brilliant songwriter and he had a lot of soul, which you don’t find nowadays.”